


Well Starting Now I'm Learning Fast (On This Journey to the Past)

by Soliloquy3000



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bisexual Peter Parker, Dark Tony Stark, Darker Than Disney Canon, Harley Keener is an Asshole, Homeless Peter Parker, Homelessness, I think I can use that, No redemption, Other, Parent Pepper Potts, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Precious Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Precious Peter Parker, Protective Morgan Stark, Protective Pepper Potts, Protective Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Recreational Drug Use, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, but - Freeform, more added later, only for the beginning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-16 22:56:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28714641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soliloquy3000/pseuds/Soliloquy3000
Summary: Peter Parker was a simple, homeless crook until a friend approached him with a simple offer: Pose as Harley Stark, the missing son of Tony Stark, a notorious politician who had been receiving some bad publicity lately. Peter packs up and heads right up to New York after he and his friend come up with a plan to rob the place. After receiving a cryptic message, however, Peter starts uncovering some dark secrets behind the seemingly picture perfect family, and realizes that nothing is what it seemed. And so he sets out to answer the question: What happened to the real Harley Stark?
Relationships: Peter Parker & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Peter Parker & Pepper Potts, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe) & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 10
Kudos: 26





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> This is the intro chapter. I'll try to post one chapter a week, I already have a couple prewritten.

_Ned and Harley were both yelling at each other. Ned knew he shouldn't have went with Harley the second he asked, but he didn't know how to say no._

_Harley, still high off his ass, shoved Ned backwards. Ned, not to be deterred, shoved Harley back harder._

_He panicked when Harley fell off the slope they were standing on and landed right on a truck. Harley groaned and slumped, unconscious, the rain soaking his limp form._

_Ned scrambled away, looking terrified. He just killed his best friend. Nay, he just killed Harley Stark!_

_Not knowing what else to do, he turned around and ran._

_The next day, when the Starks put out a missing boy's report, Ned tearfully explained what happened. Tony had smiled at him gently, assuring him that it was not his fault._

_That night would still haunt Ned years into the future._

_So it was reasonable for Ned to be suspicious when Harley came back. He knew him best, after his family, after all._

_And never, not once, had Harley been that nice._

oOo

"So let me get this straight," Peter asked the weird guy who approached him. "You want me to pretend to be some rich guy's kid? Are you nuts?"

"Listen," Harry said. "You don't need to stay there for long. Think about it. They're loaded, you stick around for a couple days. . ."

"Grab some of their shit and beat it," Peter finished, sharing a smirk with his friend.

"We'll be set for life, man," Harry crowed.

"Why me?" Peter asked.

Harry shrugged. "The guy that came to me asked for you specifically. No idea why."

"Oh well, guess I'm the one who gets to live the high life," Peter said smugly.

"Don't get a big head," Harry grumbled. "We'll both be living the high life when you get out of there, Petey."

"I'm not Peter anymore." Peter grinned. "I'm Harley Stark now."

"I'll go let my guy know we got this," Harry said, patting Peter's shoulder and walking away.

Peter relaxed, putting his hands behind his head, anticipation rolling in his gut.

He had no idea what he was getting himself into.

oOo

"Mr. Stark, I've got news for you," a voice said on the other end of Tony's phone. "They found your son!"

"What?" Tony breathed, sounding like he hardly dared to believe it.

"He'll be there by tomorrow. I sent him over to you the minute I knew it was him."

"I have to tell Pepper!"

"Yeah, yeah," the guy laughed. "Have a good day, Mr. Stark."

He hung up, completely unaware that the boy he gave a train ticket to was not the boy he was looking for.

oOo

"Hey, Harr, what if they ask me for details? What do I say then?" Peter asked as he fidgeted with the rich sweater he was forced into. Harry and Peter both bought rich clothes from the guy Harry got the job, and Peter was sitting at the Subway station.

"Best part of this thing," Harry informed. "Kid was a junkie."

"No way!" Peter exclaimed. Now Peter was starting to get suspicious. This was a little too in his favor.

"Yep," Harry said, clearly not sharing his concerns. "So just blame it on crack."

"Fair enough," Peter muttered, getting on the train.

"Knock 'em dead, Pete!" Harley yelled.

Peter laughed and waved, shrugging off his concerns. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, he supposed.

Peter would soon find out that it was far from a gift horse.


	2. Welcome Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter arrives at the Stark household, and realizes there's something going on when his "sister" acts so weird around him.

Peter jumped when he heard the train screech to a stop. He rubbed his bleary eyes and checked the stop. He jumped into action when he saw he was where he needed to be and grabbed his things before jumping off. He panted for a second before looking around the station cautiously.

"HARLEY!" a voice sounded behind him. Peter turned cautiously, only to have a man yank him into his arms.

Peter was too stunned to say anything, before he remembered that he was posing as the man's son. "Hey, Dad," Peter said, awkwardly patting the man on the back.

The man pulled away, and Peter panicked slightly at the sight of the tears in his eyes. "Don't cry," he said, patting the man's shoulder awkwardly.

"You know me, Harls," the man said, chuckling. "I ain't Tony Stark without a couple tears."

"Right," Peter said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well," Tony said, grabbing Peter's suitcase and walking to his car. "Your mother and sister are waiting for you. They've waited years, Harls. Let's not keep them waiting longer."

"Alrighty," Peter said, mentally preparing himself for an awkward car ride home.

oOo

Peter tried not to gawk too much when he was led into Stark Tower. _Hello, Master Harley_ , a voice from somewhere.

"Dad, I think the little voice in my head came back," Peter said nervously.

Tony laughed. "Good to know your sense of humor is still intact. You remember JARVIS, don't you?"

Peter tried to laugh too. "Uh, duh," he said. "I was just messing with you."

Peter walked out of the elevator, trying not to gawk to obviously. He and Harry would make a fortune off this stuff. "Harley!" a woman's voice called, and Peter was suddenly swept in the embrace of a blonde woman. "Oh, Harley, my baby, you're okay, you're safe. . ."

Peter choked, shooting a frantic look at Tony, who smiled cheekily back at him.

"Hey, Mom," Peter said, patting her back. "Don't cry, I'm perfectly fine."

"Of course you are, baby," she cooed.

Peter squirmed out of her embrace awkwardly. Once he did, he got a good at Pepper Stark. She was the kind of woman he would be damned if he screwed with.

Another girl walked towards him. Peter realized she must've been Harley's sister, Morgan Stark. She stopped in front of him and narrowed her eyes at him accusingly. "Your hair is shorter."

Peter was taken aback. "Should I have let it grow?"

She scoffed and walked away.

Pepper immediately wrapped an arm around him and tried to lead him to Harley's room.

She wasn't quick enough to hide the warning look Tony shot Morgan.

oOo

Peter tried not to look too awkward in Harley's room. There was a bed that was too comfortable, with posters that were too expensive and toys that were too breakable.

Peter sighed, running a hand through his freshly cut hair. He didn't like his hair when it wasn't waving about. He normally had it shaggy and free, and he didn't like it when he had to strain to fiddle with it. "Hey, JARVIS?" Peter asked hesitantly.

 _Yes, Master Harley?_ JARVIS said quietly.

"What do you do?" Peter asked curiously.

 _I don't recall you being interested in me_ , Master Harley, JARVIS said, sounding, if possible, curious.

Peter tried to play it cool, in case Stark could overhear his conversations. "Well, you know how drugged up I was back then, JARV," he said, internally patting himself on the back at how regretful he sounded. "I never paid attention to things that interested me."

 _Well, that is certainly understandable, Harley_ , JARVIS replied, sounding oddly sympathetic for a robot.

"Can you play music?" Peter asked, smirking.

 _Of course I can, Master Harley_ , JARVIS said. Do you have any requests?

"Toxic," Peter said, smirking wider. If someone was watching, he would do his very best to make them uncomfortable. "The normal one."

Peter swayed when the iconic tune started playing. Peter wasn't too bothered that everyone thought he was gay for listening to Britney Spears, but he was bi so they weren't too off.

"Y'know, it wouldn't hurt to pretend to be more regretful," a voice snapped from behind him.

Peter whirled to see Morgan standing behind him. "Hey, sis," Peter said, grinning and strutting to her. "Remind me, are you older or younger than me?"

"I'm older than you. Two years," she said, frowning in disgust. Peter stopped caring what people thought about him a long time ago, so it didn't bother him.

"Dance with me, sis!" he said, twisting his hips to match the music. " _With the taste of your lips I'm on a ride,_ "

"Harley, you left this place in ruins," Morgan snapped. "And this is what you do upon coming back?"

"No, this is what I do with my alone time," Peter said indignantly.

Morgan scoffed and walked out. "Yo, you homophobic?" Peter yelled at her retreating back.

She paused. "Are you gay?"

"Bi, actually," Peter said, shooting her a wink.

"I don't hate you because of that," Morgan muttered, walking out with a little less force.

Peter stared at her retreating back confusedly. What the hell did Harley do?

He would find out, soon enough. But, he would wish he didn't know.


	3. Mending Broken Relationships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter tries to fix things between him and Morgan, meets Harley's best friend and ex girlfriend, and forms an accidental bond with Pepper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this is late. I had to do the PSAT last week, and it was literal hell. On the bright side, it's done now!

Peter started when he heard loud blaring in the room. He shrieked, falling on his back in an epic seizure, throwing off his blanket and trying to scramble to his feet.

The alarm stopped, and Peter turned towards the near hysterical laughter filling the room. Tony was hunched over, trying and failing to stop his laughter. "What the hell, man?" Peter groaned, rubbing his eyes.

"Sorry, it was just too good to resist," Tony chuckled, helping Peter to his feet. "There's breakfast out on the counter, then you have a couple people who want to meet with you."

"What?" Peter asked nervously.

"Yeah," Tony said, seemingly oblivious to Peter's nerves. "I'd hope you remember Ned."

"Ned?!" Peter jumped on the chance, immediately faking a huge excited smile. "What kind of moron do you think I am? Don't answer that," Peter hastily tacked on at the cocked eyebrow Tony shot him.

"They're stopping by at noon," Tony said, brushing Peter's bangs out of his face.

Peter grumbled and pushed his hands away. "I'm a grown ass man, Dad, I can do it myself."

Tony smirked. "Say that to the pout on your face."

"I'm not pouting!" Peter exclaimed, his lip jutting out further. Tony rolled his eyes turned around. "I'm not!" Peter yelled indignantly.

"Sure you're not," Tony called back. In all his amusement, Tony hadn't noticed that some of his fondness was genuine.

oOo

"Morning, Momo," Peter said, sliding next to Morgan.

She scowled at him. "Your hair's a mess."

"Hey, I took hours to get it this way," Peter said indignantly. "Y'know what they say about the rolled out of bed look is actual bullshit. My bedhead is godawful."

Morgan's scowl deepened as she turned away, but Peter caught the softening in her eyes before she looked away. "You'll love me, Momo," Peter called at her, falling dramatically.

"Don't call me that," Morgan said in lieu of answering.

"Alrighty, Morgie," Peter answered. She huffed and stormed away, but Peter caught the small quirk of her lips.

"She'll love me one day," Peter informed Pepper when she came out.

Pepper smiled at him fondly. "I'm sure she will."

"Hey, when do you get off today?" Peter asked her.

"About four, why?" Pepper asked, curiosity flashing in her eyes.

"Wanna get manicures?" Peter asked eagerly, wriggling his fingers at her.

Pepper looked shocked. "You're not homophobic, right?" Peter asked.

"Of course not, baby," Pepper said, running a hand through his hair. "You just surprised me."

"Oh, good, because I'm as bi as it gets, and I listen to Britney Spears, so it would be kinda awkward if you were," Peter rambled.

"Don't worry, Harls," Pepper said. "I'll love you no matter what."

"Glad to hear it," Peter grinned. "I have some polish if you're interested."

"I'd love to, dear," Pepper said, smiling.

"Bring Morgan, too," Peter said, not noticing the surprised look on her face. "I do pretty cool nail art, if I do say so myself."

oOo

Ned was nervous when he stepped into the elevator of Stark Tower. He remembered that faithful night, the screaming, the anger, the truck. . .

He needed to see that Harley was still alive. Ned needed to know that he wasn't a killer. When the elevator stopped, Ned walked in to see the living room pretty much empty.

He rounded to the room to see Harley sitting on the counter, his hand shoved into a box of Lucky Charms. Harley was on his phone, scrolling idly.

Ned couldn't believe it. He could've swore Harley died that night, but here he was, alive and well. "Harley," Ned choked out, trying not to burst into tears.

Harley jumped, almost falling off the counter. "Ned?" Harley said, putting the cereal down and approaching him slowly. Harley smiled cautiously and put a hand on his shoulder. Ned immediately launched himself at Harley. Harley stumbled back, awkwardly patting Ned's back while he cried into Ned's shirt. "There, there," he said awkwardly. "It's okay."

"I thought you died," Ned sobbed, clutching Harley tighter. "When I shoved you onto the truck, I thought you died!"

"Well, I'm fine, bud," Harley said, squirming out of his grasp and twirling. "See, perfectly healthy."

"Your hair's a different color," Ned blurted out.

Harley froze. "Really?"

"Yeah, it used to be blonde."

"How blonde? Like platinum?"

"Not too blonde, I guess. Maybe it was just the light," Ned muttered.

Harley grinned at him. "Love the shirt, by the way. You wanna rewatch the Star Wars and see how many easter eggs we can spot?"

And Ned felt his suspicion return. Harley never missed a chance to insult Ned for liking Star Wars. "Sure," Ned said, trying not to sound too suspicious.

oOo

"Alright, gimme your hand and don't squirm too much," Peter said cheerfully to Pepper. She looked at him dubiously, but held her hand out in the end. Peter held it gently and started applying the grey to her hands cautiously. Peter liked doing nails. Harry teased him for it, but it was normally after Peter had painted unicorns on his toes.

Peter and Pepper sat in relative silence. When Peter finished, he sat back and smiled while Pepper admired her sparkly grey nails.

"Did he mess them up too much?" a snide voice called from behind them.

Pepper shot Morgan a disapproving look, but Peter grinned wider and ran over, scooping her up bridal style and spinning. She shrieked and batted his chest, but Peter didn't let go. "I'll have you know that I could've worked at a salon if I wanted, you adorable little gremlin."

Peter finally set Morgan down, ruffling her hair fondly. He'd always wanted a sibling, so he'd have as much fun with Morgan that he could before he beat it. "Alrighty, hands out, Morgie." Peter wriggled his fingers at her.

She huffed, but held her hand out begrudgingly. "I know how to this thing with glitter and slightly neon colors," Peter started as he started to pull out different colors. "It creates a sort of cosmic effect. Thought you might like it."

"It does sound cool," Morgan allowed.

"Awesome," Peter cheered, hopping down.

Peter was so caught up in his excitement that he didn't notice the sad looks Pepper shot him from behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ned's just being paranoid. . . . RIGHT????


End file.
